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Tales of Suspense Vol 1 43
Volume: 1 Issue: 43 Month: July Year: 1963 Credits '1st Story:' Editor: Stan Lee Writer: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein Pencils: Jack Kirby Inker Don Heck Colourist: Not Credited Letterer: Art Simek Cover Art: Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers Synopsis '1st Story:' "Iron Man versus Kala, Queen of the Netherworld!" A wind tunnel at a Stark Industries test facility goes berserk, producing hurricane force winds that send a test missile slamming into the side of a hill. The technicians call Anthony Stark to alert him to the problem. Stark, as Iron Man arrives on the scene destroys the machine by creating a countervailing wind current using his armor’s magnetic transistors to spin himself around. He quickly slips away and changes back into Tony Stark, arriving on the scene shortly afterwards. While surveying the damage, a security guard named Jim suddenly vanishes in thin air! Soon afterwards, a lab technician named Evans also disappears! Stark and his people stand around in shocked disbelief, until a prism-like object rises out of the ground, surrounds Stark, then sinks back beneath the Earth carrying him with it. Within the prism, Stark descends down through the crust of the Earth, until he arrives in a highly advanced and technological world. He is greeted by a beautiful woman named Kala, who introduces herself as Queen of the Netherworld. Kala explains that it was her people who kidnapped Stark. Jim and Evans are also there as well, although it was an error that caused them to be kidnapped, as Stark was their true target. She goes on to explain that Netherworld was once the legendary city of Atlantis, which had been sealed within a protective dome in order to escape a barrage of gigantic tidal waves. As the continent of Atlantis sank, Netherworld settled to the bottom of the sea and continued to sink until eventually it arriving at its current location at the core of the Earth. Kala introduces Stark to her military commander, Baxu and announces that she decided to invade the surface world. Baxu gives Stark a tour of Netherworld and shows off some of their advanced weaponry. Kala explains that the one thing the Netherworlders lack is machinery capable of getting them to the surface. She commands Stark to help her create such machinery and threatens to reverse the Earth’s axis, an act that would destroy everything on the surface, if he does not comply. Stark explains that there are many powerful individuals on the surface, such as Iron Man, who are capable of defeating her armies, but Kala remains undeterred. Stark agrees to help her, while his employees look on, considering him a traitor to the human race. Stark demands a lab and total privacy. As Baxu guides him to a lab, he confesses that he doesn't think it is wise to invade the surface, and that he is very uncomfortable taking orders from a woman, despite his love for her. Alone in the lab, Stark creates replacement parts for his Iron Man armor, then busts out to confront Baxu and Kala. He tells them that he sent Stark back up to the surface to warn them of their coming. Iron Man defeats Baxu and explains to him that he doesn't want to kill him, only convince him to persuade Kala to call off her crazy mission. Baxu cooperates, but Kala is wants to fight. She calls out a Disintegrator Cannon to be fired at Iron Man, who destroys the weapon using a “Reverse Energy beam.‿ Iron Man manages to successfully counter several more of Netherworld’s weapons, until he is able to get close enough to Kala to grab her and bore a tunnel through the crust of the Earth, to the surface. In the atmosphere of the surface world, Kala’s begins to rapidly age, her facial features turning into that of a "hideous old hag!" She realizes that she can never return to the surface and maintain her beauty. Iron Man convinces her to return to Netherworld in peace, marry Baxu and together rule her kingdom wisely. She decides to do so, regaining her beauty, upon returning to Netherworld. ---- 'FEATURED CHARACTER(S):' *Iron Man (Tony Stark) 'VILLIANS:' *Kala 'OTHER CHARACTERS:' *Baxu *Jim *Evans 'LOCATIONS:' *Stark Industries **Weapons Test Facility - Westchester, NY *The Netherworld 'ITEMS:' *Iron Man Armor MK II *Iron Man's Briefcase ---- Notes *Tony Stark recreated his Iron Man Armor (except for the chestplate?) in one night using the laboratory facilities provided to him in Netherworld. *This issue features the first time Iron Man creates a reverse energy beam, uses a Freon Tablet and creates holographic duplicates of himself using his armor's image projector. Trivia * Recommended Readings: *Iron Man last appeared in Iron Man: The Iron Age #1; He appears next in Tales of Suspense #44 (Next Issue). *Kala appears next in Fantastic Four #127. External Links * ---- Category:Comics Category:1963 Category:1963, July